UN power sharing plan for Libya a non-starter

With neither side wanting to talk to each other, the UN continues to show itself irrelevant to the Libyan civil war as they have introduced a "power sharing" plan that wouldn't include Muammar Gaddafi.The rebels still aren't buying, according to Reuters:

Analysts say the stalemate has led to intensified diplomatic overtures, with France saying for the first time this week that Gaddafi could stay in Libya as long as he gives up power.

The European diplomat, who declined to be named, said talks had yet to start on Khatib's plan, which foresees an immediate transitional authority made up equally of government and rebels.

The authority would appoint a president, run the security forces and supervise a reconciliation process, leading to elections to an assembly which would write a constitution.

Gaddafi and his sons would be excluded from the authority since the rebels would never accept them, but his prime minister, for example, might have a role, the diplomat said.

The Libyan leader would only accept a transition if his own fate was guaranteed, so he would not immediately be handed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which wants him tried for crimes against humanity allegedly committed by his forces, he added.

What does that mean, "not immediately handed over" to the ICC? It means that the UN would let Gaddafi stay in his tent somewhere in the desert hoping people would forget the indictment against him.

This has zero chance of success:

Rebels, like the government, are saying in public that no one seriously expected talks to end the crisis.

"Impossible," said Colonel Ahmed Bani, a rebel military spokesman. "What do we tell the widower? What do we tell the mother who lost her children ... We can't negotiate, people will devour us."

I'll bet they're saying it in private too.

With neither side wanting to talk to each other, the UN continues to show itself irrelevant to the Libyan civil war as they have introduced a "power sharing" plan that wouldn't include Muammar Gaddafi.

Analysts say the stalemate has led to intensified diplomatic overtures, with France saying for the first time this week that Gaddafi could stay in Libya as long as he gives up power.

The European diplomat, who declined to be named, said talks had yet to start on Khatib's plan, which foresees an immediate transitional authority made up equally of government and rebels.

The authority would appoint a president, run the security forces and supervise a reconciliation process, leading to elections to an assembly which would write a constitution.

Gaddafi and his sons would be excluded from the authority since the rebels would never accept them, but his prime minister, for example, might have a role, the diplomat said.

The Libyan leader would only accept a transition if his own fate was guaranteed, so he would not immediately be handed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which wants him tried for crimes against humanity allegedly committed by his forces, he added.

What does that mean, "not immediately handed over" to the ICC? It means that the UN would let Gaddafi stay in his tent somewhere in the desert hoping people would forget the indictment against him.

This has zero chance of success:

Rebels, like the government, are saying in public that no one seriously expected talks to end the crisis.

"Impossible," said Colonel Ahmed Bani, a rebel military spokesman. "What do we tell the widower? What do we tell the mother who lost her children ... We can't negotiate, people will devour us."